Second Chances: Passing The Torch
by jtbwriter
Summary: It’s the end of an era as Rick and A.J. Simon welcome their friend Chief Ron Johnson into retirement. But when the next generation of Simons want to go into law enforcement, an unknown enemy threatens their future. Dedicated to old & new fans alike!
1. Chapter 1

Second Chances: Passing On The Fire

After a grueling court case, it's the end of an era as Rick and A.J. Simon welcome their friend Ron Johnson into retirement. But who of the next generation is willing to take their places?

(This is a work of fiction. No money is being made on it, and the characters are owned by Universal Studios and are only being borrowed for a little while. .)

A/N: For any new readers, "Second Chances" is my "what if?" for Rick and A.J. Simon...What if they didn't end the partnership or A.J. didn't marry Janet or Liz.... What if Rick had a long-lost sweetheart who needed protection from a crazed stalker? And.....what if Rick and his girl fell in love, adopted her niece and nephew, and made a home first in San Diego, then in Arizona? These "what if''s" are the basis for my continuing "Simon & Simon" as if they never went off the air. This series also includes crossovers from Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman and Dark Shadows.....so feel free to read my other stories for the whys and wherefores of these three worlds meeting.

"And I told you, Andy, that your mother and I are against you going into the police academy!"

Rick Simon was just about to knock on his son's door, when he heard Robbie's upset voice. Surprised, he held off until the sound of a chair scraping against the floor sounded.

"And I said I don't need your permission, Dad…..You and Mom can't stand in my way if I'm 18…and I will be next month." His grandson said loudly.

At that, Rick figured he'd better make a move, so he banged the door knocker then announced, "It's Dad, Robbie…can I come in?"

There was a moment of silence, then a quiet…"Come in, Dad."

The doorknob clicked and Rick pushed his way into a tense scene. Andy was standing next to the sofa, looking down at an uncomfortable Robbie, with Ramona sitting next to him, wiping her eyes.

"Son…" Rick patted the younger man's shoulder, then leaned down to hug Ramona.

"Thanks, Dad." She sniffed, then looked up at her son.

"Mom…don't…" Andy started to say, stopping when Rick held up his hand.

"I don't know what started all this, Andy, but first off, no grandson of mine speaks to their parents like that…or tells their mother not to cry."

To his credit, Andy hung his head, then sat down across from his folks as Rick cleared his throat. "Okay, what's going on…"

"I'm sorry, Mom, Dad..I didn't mean to lose my temper, but ….we can't run scared all our lives…Any job is dangerous…and I just want to have a chance of doing one I love..", his grandson said earnestly. Immediately Ramona leaned across and hugged him, murmuring, "I know, I know." Rick pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed to her as she straightened up. "Just like Mom, I know, Dad." She smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry, Pop..maybe we should start at the beginning." Robbie interrupted, glancing at his wife. Rick saw uncertainty in his expression.

"That's a good start, Robbie…" Rick said, taking a seat next to his grandson. "Okay, who told you had a future as a cop?"

"Uncle Ron had me take the aptitude test last month, Grandpa. Ceci and I have been daring each other about it for ages, then Joey heard us and dared us both. So…" Andy hesitated, then blurted, "We did. both of us. And…we passed in the top two percent!"

"Ceci? I thought she'd grown out of that…" Rick wondered aloud, then shook his head as Andy added, "No, she's been wanting to do something other then nursing..but she didn't want to disappoint Aunt Linda.."

"Oh, boy….your Uncle and Auntie are sure going to love this…but.." Rick saw the light in his grandson's eyes, then took the leap. "If you are sure this is what you want…I'll support you anyway I can."

"You mean it?" Andy's expression was so full of hope it nearly choked him up, but then he heard the moan of "no, Pop" from his son.

"Robbie…" He turned to him. "I know it's a dangerous job sometimes; but I never stood between you and what you wanted. Andy's known from the start what can happen, but he also knows the reward of being there when you're needed, and protecting those you love from harm. And Ramona," Rick reached over and took her hand.

"I would never encourage Andy or any of our grandchildren….heck..any of our family in being in law enforcement if I didn't have faith that we can make sure they'll get all the training they need. And whether they like it or not…" he ruffled Andy's hair, "They will have a whole lot of family and friends looking after them."

"Grandpa….." the young man pretended to groan, then turned to face his parents.

"I know I should have spilled on this earlier….but I was so sure you'd back me up…"

For a moment there was silence, then Robbie cleared his throat.

"I'll….um…."

"We'll…." Ramona broke in, as Robbie put an arm around her. "We'll always back you up, son…in whatever you want to do. As long as you try your best, we'll be proud of you."

"Thanks…Mom…Dad…" Andy choked up, then turned and embraced Rick. "Thank you, Grandpa….I won't let you down….or you guys…" he finished, tearfully hugging his parents.

Just then approaching footsteps sounded on the walk outside, then Lala and Davey burst in through the screen door. "Andy, did you tell them….oh, hi Grandpa!" Lala said, a guilty look on her face. Behind her, Davey whispered indignantly, "I told you to see if that was Grandpa's truck…."

"Yes, he did, you stinkers…" Rick teased, getting up and grabbing both teenagers in a hug. "You two better not have the same idea now…"

"Me, no! I want to be a chef like Auntie Robin!" Lala said with a shiver. "Too many jerks out there…I want to be able to go out on dates and stuff.."

"And I want to be an actor like Ricky….he has it made!" Davey told them matter of factly.

"Oh, brother…" Robbie sighed. "Wait until Grandma and Uncle Oscar hear this."

"Grandma? Your Mother will have something to say…" Rick replied wryly. "Not to mention your Uncle A.J…. I can just hear him now…"


	2. Chapter 2

"NO! N…O!"

"Wait a minute, honey….just calm down a minute…"

"What part of no do you …"

"HOLD IT, BOTH OF YOU!" Rick never thought he'd see the day when his mother could quail not only A.J. AND Linda, but her own husband.

But there it was, silence.

"And you, Richard..take that smirk off your face…You had better tell me who all and what all started this "I want to join the police academy" business." Cecilia added, fixing her oldest son with a long, hard stare.

Seated in his brother's easy chair, looking his mother in the eye was not the most relaxing thing he could be doing, but Rick figured it was going to get harder. Just then, a welcome voice sounded at the door.

"Mom…is everything all right?" At once everyone in the room turned towards the entry of A.J.'s condo, as Laurie Simon opened the screen door and came in.

"Yes, honey….I'm glad you're here." Oscar got up from the sofa first, and gave his daughter a hug. Over her father's shoulder, Laurie raised her eyebrows at Rick, and he made a silent "kiss" at her. "It's okay, sweetheart." He "told" her in his thoughts, and she smiled.

"So am I …traffic from the clinic was nasty." She sighed, returning Oscar's hug, then advancing to drop a kiss on Cecelia's cheek. She put a hand on both A.J. and Linda's shoulders, saying, "I've got a couple of strays with me, they're unloading the jeep. Do you want to tell me what's got Mom upset before they come in?"

"Strays? Oh, don't tell me…" A.J. got the same wry look his brother was wearing.

"Hey, Dad…Mom…we got a ride after all.." Ceci and Ricky huffed and puffed as Oscar held the door open for them. In their arms were grocery bags full of laundry, and Rick laughed as Linda pretended to hold her nose.

"Pee-you….take those dirty clothes to the laundry room before we're declared a health hazard, guys. Sis..you didn't have to stop for them…"

"Oh…I had to….it's not everyday we have a college graduate and a master's candidate coming home for the summer…" she grinned, plopping down next to Rick. He immediately put an arm around her as he said, "True….but where's the college sophomore…"

"Right here, Grandpa.." Andy came from the rear of the condo, hoisting a tray of glasses, followed by his cousins Robin and Melly with a pitcher of ice tea.

"Good…cause I think we'll have to have a little discussion about what you all have planned this summer." Cecelia announced firmly. At once Laurie looked at the set faces of her brother and sister-in-law, then nodded.

"I knew something was up….but there's no time like the present to hear what you .." she smiled at her grandson and nephews and nieces, "want to do with what you've learned."

Suddenly Rick felt the tension lessen in the room; he knew his wife had said the right words.

"Thank you, Grandma." Andy sat down in a chair opposite her, with a somber Ricky and Ceci joining their parents on the sofa.

"This is what I want to do…."

As Andy explained his desire to enter the Police Academy's summer program, Rick got a lump in his throat, seeing the same enthusiasm his son displayed at an older age.

"Wait a minute.." Rick fought down a smile as he realized what classes his grandson wanted to take. "You want to take Forensics in the Field, Community Relations and Photographic Evidence, right?"

"Yes, Grandpa….I figured those would line up with what science classes I already took this semester." Andy nodded. Rick let loose a contented grin.

"Well, I don't see why we couldn't add a CSI to our family resume, about time we had some real brains at Phoenix PD."

At that Cecilia and Oscar looked at each other, as A.J. began to laugh. "Oh, Rick, you take the cake….we thought Ricky had caught the bug from Ron for police work, then worked on Andy too."

"Well, if some adults in here wouldn't jump to conclusions.." Rick smirked, as Andy shook his head in confusion. "Wait a minute, Grammy…you thought I wanted to be a policeman?"

"Well, son, we started hearing about you going to the Police Academy, so we thought you'd want to follow in your dad's footsteps." Cecilia admitted, smiling as she stood up and hugged her great-grandson.

"No, Grammy….I know how hard Dad has to work, and I…well, I want to have a family someday and I really enjoyed working on Grandpa's cases when he and Uncle A.J. would let us." Andy explained, relieved. Laurie reached across and patted his shoulder.

"And we know you'll be making a difference for the victims when a crime happens, Andy. I'm very proud to have a scientist in the family."

"Thank you, Grandma…" Andy got red, then turned when Ceci added, "yeah, thanks for taking some of the heat off…." Suddenly she put a hand to her mouth, as if realizing she had spoken too soon. Ricky sighed.

"Nice going, Cec…uh, I think the laundry's ready for the dryer." He began, starting to edge out of the room.

"Not so fast, Ricky….we haven't heard what you're going to do now that grad school's done." Linda looked at her oldest son calmly as A.J. said, "Ceci, you told us you took a test last week; was it for grad school?"

The young girl gulped, then stood up straight. "No, Dad….I took the Police Academy entrance exam…Ron got us in."

"US?" Both Rick and A.J. echoed her as Cecilia sighed. Laurie was the first one to speak up, though.

"How did you and Ricky do? Did Ron give you the test results?"

Rick had to smile, as their niece and nephew's jaws dropped. Ricky was the first to recover, saying, "Auntie Laurie, how did you know?"

"Your Aunt Abby spilled when I asked why Ron called looking for you last week; she had no idea it was going to be a surprise for your parents." Laurie explained, a wry tone in her voice. "And also she told me it was something she knew you both wanted to do; Ron wanted to make sure he got you in before he signed out."

"Wait a minute…." Now it was Rick who was taken aback. "What did she mean, signed out?"

Laurie reached over and took his hand in hers. "Darling, I think Ron's going to retire, Abby says he's tired of the brass cutting into his budgets and the way security's been so lax.."

"Say no more, sweetheart.." Rick kissed her fingers, then looked at the others. "Ron's been up against the wall since Easter, especially with Glen being forced out and all. I knew he was frustrated…but maybe he'll be able to go out on his own terms now."

"Well, I hope so..but in the meantime he was so pleased to help you three get a chance…" Laurie continued, "Especially when he saw your scores. A.J., you and Linda have the 2 top scoring cadets in your family, and they each earned the chance to pick their own mentors."

"Mentors?" A.J. replied quizzically

"Yeah, Dad…..Since I want to specialize in security, Uncle Ron is going to try to pair me with his assistant Martin-he's supposed to be an expert." Ceci explained. Ricky added, "Mentors can keep you focused, and since I want to concentrate on self-defense, he's going to pair me with Sgt. Race, he's the training expert."

"Well…" A.J. let out a deep breath then looked at his children's faces as Linda softly asked, "Are you sure, Ceci, Ricky?"

"We are, Mom…and I promise we'll give our best everyday…." Ceci told her, as Ricky said, "And we won't take anything for granted, Mom….we'll have to work hard but I know we can do it."

For a moment there was silence, then A.J. finally nodded. "Okay, Ricky, Ceci…but only if you tell us the minute it's too rough….."

"I will, Dad….Promise, Dad" Both of the junior Simons frantically hugged their father and mother. Then Oscar spoke up.

"Well, if you're going to spend your summer studying, maybe I'd better give you the same training I gave your aunt." Cecilia gave him a dirty look until he qualified his offer with, "but only with your folks permission."

At that Ricky and Ceci let out a cheer, as Andy beamed and said, "Now I know we'll have a chance at the academy."


	3. Chapter 3

"Ron, I think we'd better have a little talk…"

Without looking up, Chief Ron replied, "Just a minute, Rick, A.J….almost done."

Patiently the Simon brothers stood in the doorway of their friend's office, noticing that it was in a state of disarray. Pictures were stacked on his end table, sofa and cabinet, except for his anniversary picture with Abby and Joey. Normally on the corner of his desk, it now sat next to his phone.

After a few moments, Rick decided to take things in his own hands, and stepping inside, removed a stack of files from both guest chairs, then plopped down in front of Ron's desk. A.J. shook his head at his brother's actions, then quietly took a seat.

Just then Ron finished writing his signature, then folded the document he signed and sealed it in an envelope. At that he looked up, and smiled wryly at Rick and A.J..

"Sorry guys, I just wanted to take care of that before someone changed my mind."

Rick let out a sigh. "So it's true, you're retiring from the force? For real?"

As Ron nodded his head, A.J. added, "Not that we'd be the ones to talk you out of it, but why now? Is it the fact that anyone can come up to your floor without a name badge, because the security guard's on his coffee break."

"Yep." Ron said tersely, saying, "Excuse me.", then picking up his phone and asking for an extension. When someone answered, he chewed the person on the other end for "not doing his job", then ended by requesting their presence in their supervisor's office in one hour.

"I'm sorry, guys, but that's just unacceptable….thanks for telling me though. It just goes to show that I've made the right call." Ron replied, disgusted.

"Well, I don't blame you, although there's a grandmother who'd like to give you a talking to right now, and a couple of parents.." Rick told him meaningfully. A puzzled look crossed the chief's face, then a sheepish grin appeared.

"Oh, I guess I stepped in this time….I take it Cecilia wants my head?"

"Well, she did, until Ricky and Ceci explained the whys and wherefores; and Linda and I, well.." A.J. began.

"Got out-talked and outmaneuvered, I know…..they convinced me when they actually showed up at the test site." Ron admitted. "As for Andy, he really is more suited to the procedural end of police work. He told me how you and A.J. showed the three of them about fingerprints; then I remember kind of making them an offer."

"Yes, you did…." Rick gave him a smirky look, and Ron laughed.

"All right, maybe I should have run it through Robbie and Ramona, at least…but I really thought Andy'd talked it over with you guys. I hope you're not sore."

"No, but remind me if Joey wants to talk about rodeoing again, I'll sic Laurie on him…" Rick joked. Ron covered his head in fake horror, "AHHHHH! Anything but that!"

"Now you're warned." A.J. chuckled.

As expected the next couple of weeks saw the younger Simons run through the gamut of physicals, background checks, and enough paperwork to make Ricky wonder aloud "is this necessary?"

"Is what necessary, son?" A.J. asked, when he came home from coaching Little League and found Rick griping to his mother.

"All this stuff….I had to fill out more forms for the academy, Dad….do they really need to know how many rodeo injuries I've had?"

"Probably, maybe they want to make sure you're not accident-prone?" A.J. said with a straight face, then saw Linda's lip quiver. Ricky was on too much of a roll to catch the joke.

"And they say my stuntman's associate membership is a conflict of interest…what has that to do with anything?" he continued, plopping down on the sofa.

"I don't know, Ricky….but they must have a good reason to list that." A.J. tried to placate his son. Suddenly Linda spoke up.

"All right, Ricky, that's enough. You wanted to go to the Police Academy, and your father and I went along because we thought this is what you wanted. But you know there's beauracracy and paperwork in any job. So…", she paused.

"Is there something else going on that is making you complain so much? Because if following the police departments p's and q's is so much trouble, maybe you ought quit before you start. Considering that you and Ceci just got it, someone else might appreciate Ron's efforts."

Both A.J. and his son were slack-jawed at her stern tone, then Ricky let out a sigh, and got up and hugged his mother.

"Thanks, Mom…I guess I'm being a bit of a pill… It was just the attitude of the Captain in charge of orientation….he made some crack about back-door recruits and he was looking at Ceci and I. A couple of the others wanted to know why I gave up "showbiz", and I …well." He hesitated, then said, "Maybe I don't want to…there's two productions auditioning next week for stunt work. At least there I don't have to put up with stuff."

"Do you want to hold off on the academy this year?" A.J. asked calmly, inwardly angered by the treatment of his son. Ricky was quiet for a moment, then shook his head.

"No, Dad…I'm going to hang in one more week….I know Ceci and I are going to get some flack, but I'll try to have a thick skin about it."

"That's my boy…" A.J. was hard put not to let his emotions show at Ricky's maturity as he got up and embraced his son. "Don't be afraid to let us know if it gets too rough, though. There are limits to what you have to put up with, police or no police."

"Okay, Dad…thanks." Ricky hugged his parents, then glanced at the clock.

"Oh, oh…I'm late…got to pick Callie up from her audition…."

"Callie?" Linda tried not to smile as Ricky tried to act nonchalant. "Yeah, she's a friend from that Carnival reality show, the one they wanted a stripping cowboy for?"

"Stripping cowboy?" A.J. started to laugh as his son nodded sheepishly. "I didn't want to tell you guys why I turned it down…but she and a couple of the Wild West show people are at Vineland Studios to try out for the new Cowboy Joe pilot. I promised to meet her afterward."

"All right, Ricky…don't keep a lady waiting." Linda grinned as Ricky grabbed his jacket and a comb and dashed out the front door, yelling, "Thanks…I'll be home late."

As the door closed behind him, A.J. couldn't hold it in any longer. "Stripping cowboy?" he wheezed, wiping his eyes.

"Could have been worse.." Linda began, then the back door slammed, and Ceci's voice called, "Dad!"

"Oh, oh…" Linda sighed. "I think we're about to hear round two about the academy."

By the time the 4Th of July rolled around, both A.J. and Rick were fielding complaints from Ricky and Ceci. Unfortunately, when the brothers contacted Sgt. Race, Ricky's mentor, they had their eyes opened as to how rough the new cadets had it.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Simon, but your son is right. I've seen politician's sons and a couple of wealthy types get harassed, but the way some of the other recruits have gone after him…" the stocky man shook his head. "I'm just impressed that he and his sister have lasted this long."

"Okay, so you know who's put dog doo on his chair, flattened his tires and put a "nude" picture of Ceci in his locker," A.J. said calmly, as Rick seethed. "What is the staff going to do about it?"

"We had a meeting yesterday of the training officers, and it's been decided to expel the two worst offenders. We have actual evidence of their actions on tape, so there's no question of the identity of the offenders. For the rest of the class….we can't prove they participated, only admonish them on remaining silent." The Sergeant explained.

"However…" he paused, and Rick saw the look of disgust on his face. "There may be further retaliation from some members of the class who don't like to see their classmates disciplined. You may want to sit them down and discuss their remaining on the force."

"Wait a minute, my son and daughter may have to give up their desire to work in law enforcement just because a few yahoos spoil it for them?" A.J. was beet red. Rick put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"If they want to spend their lives making a difference, they may have to do so someplace else, little brother." Rick explained, and A.J.'s expression changed.

"Thanks-you may have just given me an idea…Sergeant Race…what if…"


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure, Dad…..I know you want to help..but …" Ricky stood outside the training room at the Police Academy, nervously shifting his feet. Next to him A.J. put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"It's about time you went on the offensive, son. We need to know what or who is behind you and your sister's harassment, otherwise you both might have to dropout." he said. At the mention of Ceci, the younger Simons face hardened.

"You're right, Dad…thanks. Whatever happens, thanks."

A.J. refrained from giving Ricky a hug, only a pat on the arm. "That's my boy, now go on in, we should know something in a few."

Obediently Ricky opened the door and went in, and A.J. could hear the room went from noisy to silent, with only a few muttered voices. Sergeant Race nodded at him, then went into the room also, closing the door behind him.

Immediately A.J. went down the corridor, then slipped into an adjacent room, which held a long one way window. Rick was already in there in front of the window, adjusting a speaker built into the wall.

"Everything set?" A.J. asked, settling into a seat.

"Yep, got Race the goggles and everything. Looks like it's time to start."

As Rick spoke, the brothers could see roll being taken, with Ricky noticeably having had to move to the front row. As the training officer finished his list, he cleared his throat and looked at Ricky.

"Simon, is there a reason you are not at your assigned seat?"

A burst of muffled snickers greeted the question, and Sgt. Race turned his head to the back row of cadets, who instantly became quiet.

"I'm sorry, sir. My seat is not …..working. Sir." Ricky answered, red-faced.

"Well, we'll just have to see." The officer responded, and a nervous buzz sounded.

Walking stiffly to the younger man's regular seat, Race bent down, then used a small flashlight to peer under the chair. He frowned, then stood straight up.

"Attention!" he barked, and all the cadets jumped to their feet.

"Whoever tampered with this seat has just earned expulsion from the Academy; there is and has always been a policy against hazing of fellow cadets. We have already asked two cadets to leave, would anyone else like to tell me why you want to make it at least one more?"

It was dead silent in the room, and Race spoke again, distain in his voice.

"If someone is willing to damage academy property or harm another cadet, what makes you think they wouldn't hesitate to do it in the field. Have any of you thought of that?"

Now there was a low murmur from the front of the room, and the Sgt. strode forward until he was even with two men. Both shifted uncomfortably under his glare, then the shorter of the two spoke.

"Sir, how can you tell if someone has…done something to a desk. Anyone here could, uh, play a joke on someone."

"Good question, Mr. Jones, Mr. Munoz, would you care to hazard a guess?" Race asked quietly. A tall man, Munoz looked into the officer's eyes.

"Fingerprints, Sir? Or by scent….you could trace it back, Sir."

The coolness of his voice caught Rick's attention, and he exchanged glances with his brother. "Something tells me he doesn't think he'll be caught…" A.J. muttered.

"Guess again." Rick returned with a smirk.

"Good ideas, Mr. Munoz…but in this day and age we have more advanced techniques. Mr. Simon, could you dim the lights, please."

Ricky went to the front of the room and flicked off all but the rear lights, then Sgt Race produced a set of goggles from his pocket, and walked back to Ricky's desk.

There shining in the semidarkness were four sets of purple fingerprints, matching the same color on the hands of Munoz and Jones.

"What the…" the cadets on either side of the men stared at them, then moved away from them. Race turned and walked back to the two men.

"Gentlemen, it looks like you were caught..purple handed. Would you care to explain?"

"It was just a joke, sir….Simon's had an easy ride of it and all..so .." Jones began, only for Munoz to snap, "Shut it, man…he has nothing on us."

"Oh, I think we do, Mr. Jones…I'm sure Simon will be pressing charges…attempted assault and criminal harassment for starters. We have both of your fingerprints on file, gentlemen, and when we compare them…" the older man added.

At that, the shorter cadet interrupted him. "It wasn't anything personal, sir…the note said if we got Simon and his sister to quit, there was money in it for us."

"Shut up, Jones….no one likes a snitch!" Munoz snarled, then Race moved quickly to grab the taller man and handcuff him.

"That's enough threats, Munoz….you just earned a trip to jail. Mr. Jones, would you care to avoid the same?" he warned. Rick and A.J. exited the surveillance room at that and came out into the corridor in time to watch a sullen Munoz escorted down the hall by two deputies. Ron was waiting for them, a worried look on his face.

"I just got a blow by blow in my office of what's been going on….I'm sorry, guys. I never thought there would be any danger to Ricky and Ceci."

"Not your fault, pal. This just felt too much to be just guys being guys." Rick assured him, seeing Munoz's accomplice talking animatedly to Sgt Race as another deputy stood by.

"Maybe so, but I want to take a look at those two guys' records…see who might have hired them to take out the kids." Ron told him.

As they started to leave, Ricky and the other cadets came out of the room, and the two brothers heard quiet apologies being made.

"Sorry, about that, Simon..shouldn't have listened to gossip…."

"We …I was wrong, man…hope you'll let me buy you a drink…"

A.J. swelled with pride when he heard his son calmly reply, "Sure, Mark…I'd like to hear more about the rifle course. Ben…it's cool…after class tomorrow maybe."

"Well, that's promising." Rick murmured, heading for the station.

Once in their friend's office, Rick and A.J. found a hornet's nest of issues when Ron pulled the files of Munoz and Jones.

"You've got to be kidding me, the D.A.'s son? And that guy for Channel 10, his nephew?" Ron was shaking his head as his former assistant, Don Nixon reviewed their applications.

"Sorry, pal….looks like those two have connections…so why would they be willing to accept bucks to make the kids quit?" Nixon asked. Rick frowned as A.J. said, "I hope Jones spills before they lawyer up. Otherwise I'm going to have Ceci and Ricky drop out."

"I'm afraid I'd have to agree, guys…it could get messy if either of these two decide to fight the charges." Ron mused glumly.

"Wait a minute, Ron…" Nixon looked up from the file he was holding. "Did either of you handle any cases involving Anthony DiMarco?"

"Anthony DiMarco….the gambler? Don't think so …." A.J. answered, as Rick shook his head. "Why, does he have ties to these jerks?"

"He's Andrew Jones' grandfather, listed as a reference in both Jones and Munoz's applications. I was thinking he might have a bone to pick with you if you'd busted him for something…" Nixon began, only for Ron to interrupt him.

"I busted him years ago for illegal gambling…he went to jail for a couple of years before he turned state's evidence and cleaned up his image."

"What would he have to gain by being involved in any of this….does he have a kid in the academy?" Rick wondered.

"Why don't you ask me?"

Standing in the doorway of the office was a silver haired man, dressed in a designer suit. He came forward as Ron stood up from his desk.

"Mr. DiMarco?"


	5. Chapter 5

"The same." DiMarco replied, extending his hand. Ron politely shook it, then asked, "I take it you have some answers for …us?"

"Yes, Chief, but first I'd like to answer Mr. Simon here." He nodded towards Rick, who sensed that he had dealt with the man before.

"Several years ago you and your wife testified for my cousin, whose son was engaged in robberies against family businesses. Against our family's wishes, you understand." He added. Rick had a sudden flash of memory just as A.J. said, "I remember, he tried to save my sister-in-law when she was taken hostage, then his son died trying to kill her."

"Yes….and his father ended up going to prison for only a short period of time thanks to Mrs. Simon's honesty. When he passed away some years ago, the only thing my cousin left undone was repaying her kindness. And yours, Mr. Simon." DiMarco added.

"So you're here to tell us why my son and daughter are being harassed into quitting the police academy?" A.J. asked. The older man shook his head.

"No, I came to warn you why they should not pursue this line of work, for they will be dead before they set foot on the street."

A.J. clenched his fists as Rick asked frostily, "So you know who's behind this harassment, can you give us their names?"

"Not yet, gentlemen….I need to make one more call….then I'll give you the information you need to protect your family." DiMarco replied, standing up and nodding at Ron.

"Are you sure you can't just tell us who's guilty, before someone gets hurt?" A.J. blurted, only for DiMarco to shake his head.

"I'm sorry, but I need to let …someone know what has happened. I'll be in touch, Chief."

At that the older man took his briefcase in hand and left the conference room, Ron trailing after him.

Frustrated, Rick and A.J. returned to the condo. "Okay, what do we have to go on?" A.J. sat in his office chair while Rick paced restlessly.

"We have two idiots who tried to sabotage Ricky and Ceci, an ex-crook that I still don't trust, and someone still out there with an axe to grind .." he replied angrily, his frustration showing.

Suddenly a thought hit him, and he stopped in his tracks.

"A.J…..did Ron say the kids got the last available slots at the Academy?"

"I don't think so…but …" A.J. grabbed his phone and dialed their friend's office. As soon as Ron answered, "Chief Johnson", he asked, "Ron, did Ricky and Ceci get the last spots for the Academy this summer?"

There was silence for a moment, then the chief's tired voice chuckled. "I should have thought of that myself; but I just wanted to make sure I did something for you….well, for Ricky and Ceci…so they'd have a headstart. It's time I retired, I guess."

"No, no..you wanted to do something good, and I appreciate it…" A.J. hurriedly tried to reassure their friend. "Rick's the one who brought it up…who didn't get into the academy, that would want to make sure "someone" gave up their spots?"

"I can get that info in five….call you and the senior partner back!" Ron promised, a hopeful note in his tone. As soon as A.J. hung up the phone, Rick grabbed at it.

"I just had a thought……Bill Branson was involved with DiMarco and his cousin back then, what if that bastard has something to do with the harassment of Ricky and Ceci…."

"No….he's supposed to be in prison, practically solitary.." A.J.'s face went white. Rick placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I don't think he's escaped, A.J….but he might have put someone up to this…for revenge. At least I can… Hello, Mojave State Prison, please." He switched gears as the operator came on. In a few minutes he had the admistration office on, and his face lightened as he listened to the assistant warden.

"I just had to make sure….thank you for your time." He finally answered, and as he hung up A.J. asked impatiently, "Well….what did they say?"

"Branson's had only one visitor, his son Matty. He came with his mother last month…and the warden says it didn't go well. No other calls or outside contacts to speak up either." Rick explained. Just then the phone rang back, and he picked it back up to hear Ron's voice on the other end.

"Boy, when you get a hunch…" Ron began.

"What, what did you find?" Rick asked, A.J. listening intently as the chief answered.

"Had two unhappy customers who just missed getting into the program this summer…both made a fuss when they were told there was no space. And..get this…"

"One of them was Matty Branson, right?" Rick interrupted. There was puzzled silence on the other end.

"Yeah….you have to tell me how you know about that…." Ron finally said, and Rick chuckled.

"I wish it was ESP, but I just spoke to the warden at Mojave; and he confirmed that Branson's kid visited there last month. Who was the other turndown?"

"Someone named Montana, Hallie Montana. She's from a military family stationed near Flagstaff and was top scorer in her ROTC unit. According to the admittance office, Montana applied late, otherwise she would have aced a spot in the class." The chief added.

"Well, that's still not Ricky or Ceci's fault….we need to find these two and see who's not giving up on the Academy." A.J. broke in, then listened as Ron told them, "Already working on it guys, both Branson and Montana have been asked to come to the Academy tomorrow morning at 10am. Can you both make it?:"

"We'll be there, but I think Ceci and Ricky should skip it….I'd rather they be out of the picture if there's any trouble." Rick assured their friend.

When Rick got home to the ranch, he was relieved to see his son and daughter-in-law's car in the drive, as he had forgotten to check if someone would be home with Laurie.

As he got out of his truck, the relief vanished when Robbie appeared on the porch, his face worried.

"Hey, Pop..did Mom and Jack go into town with you? "

"No, Robbie….she's not here?" Rick began to panic, then "called out", "Laurie, sweetheart…where are you?"

"Rick? Darling,..I'm locked in the barn…Jack's missing." She answered faintly, fear in her thoughts. Immediately he ran down the side of the house, calling back to Robbie, "Your mom's been locked in the barn….go around to the side door!"

As he rounded the patio, Rick saw an ominous sight. Jack's empty collar lay on the ground near the barn, caught under a smoldering haybale pushed up against the barn door.. As he quickened his pace, Laurie's scream sounded from the barn.

"Rick! Help…the barn's on fire!"


	6. Chapter 6

"Laurie, drop to the ground and cover your face!" he yelled, reaching the blocked door. He used a discarded horse blanket to grab the burning hay, dragging it away from the barn. Flinging the door open, Rick was met with a billow of smoke, almost obscuring his wife lying on the ground, just inside the doorway.

"Laurie!", he choked, reaching down and gathering her in his arms. Peering through the haze that his son had a fire extinguisher and was already blowing foam on the flames near the stalls, he quickly carried Laurie outside. Seeing Ramona at the back door, phone in hand, he told her, "Call Rudy, get an ambulance…"

"No…no….Rick..I'm okay…." His wife interrupted him, her eyes red and her voice raspy with the smoke. "I just need some water…"

"I'll get you some, Mom….the fire departments' already on the way, Dad." Ramona assured him, going back into the house.

"Darlin'….don't talk…here…" Rick sat down on one of the tables and helped Laurie sit up. "Just breathe for me, sweetheart."

Obediently she took several breaths, then gratefully sipped from a glass of water that her daughter-in-law handed to her.

"Mama, does anything hurt? Do you feel dizzy or sick?" Robbie came from the barn and knelt down beside her. She shook her head, leaning against Rick as she replied, "No…just a little shook up…..I came outside to see what Jacky was barking about and I saw him run into the barn. When I followed him inside, I saw smoke coming from the other side of the stalls, then someone pushed me to the ground and slammed the door shut. I ran to the back door but it was locked…." Laurie stopped for a moment as the full impact of what happened hit her, and she froze.

"Where's Jacky? Did any of you find him? Who could have done this?" she asked, on the verge of tears. Swallowing his anger, Rick gently told her, "I didn't see him, sweetheart…just his collar on the ground. He can't be far…maybe he chased whoever locked you inside."

Just then a siren sounded, and Robbie ran to the front of the ranch to open the gate to the fire truck from town, followed by a concerned Rudy Wells.

"Where's my girl….what happened?" The old doctor followed Robbie to the back yard, then spent several minutes checking Laurie over while the firemen finished putting out a few hot spots outside the barn. Inside Ramona and Robbie checked on the horses and filled the feed and water troughs.

Through all the activities, Rick never let go of his wife's hand, shaken at the close call she had. He was relieved beyond words when Rudy closed his bag and smiled at them both.

"Well, Missy, it looks as if you managed to avoid any smoke inhalation. I want you to take it easy the next day or so, just in case." He added, then frowned when Rick told him, "Someone locked her in the barn, and stole Jack; I think I'd better take Laurie to A.J.'s just in case, until we find out who did this!"

"Took Jack? Well, this explains why I found him…oh, hang on!" the old doctor got up and disappeared back into the house, returning a minute later with a panting but unhurt Jack. He had a scrape on his nose, but was whimpering and crying until he saw Laurie.

"Jacky! Oh, my baby dog!" she cried out, petting the excited little dog. Relieved, Rick helped her up and took her inside as Robbie hung back to speak with the firemen.

Just as the Simons entered the kitchen, the phone ring, and Rick picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Next time they're both dead"

Click.

"Son of a…." Rick started to swear, then caught himself in time as he saw his wife's curious expression.

"Sorry, darlin'….but someone just made a big mistake." Rick huffed, leading Laurie to their room and helping her lay down.

"It's alright, love…..you have every right to swear once in a while." She murmured, reaching up for him and giving Rick a kiss.

"My warrior." he growled, sitting on the bed and wrapping his arms around her. After taking some time to themselves, Rick reluctantly went to meet A.J. in his office, only to find an excited A.J. on the phone. Immediately he returned to Laurie, saying, "Come on, sweetheart, I think you ought to hear this." As they paused in the doorway, they heard A.J. exclaim, "I'm glad you caught him…..I'd have the country looking for this jerk otherwise…he tried to kill Laurie just a while ago!"

Rick plopped down in his chair, then beckoned his wife to sit next to him. "Stay here, darlin', I'm not letting you out of my sight!"

"Yes, Rick.." she sighed, perching on the desk. Curious, the two of them watched A.J. as he jotted down a few notes, then stopped, frowning.

"Wait a minute, if the officer pulled him over an hour ago, there's no way he'd be the one who locked Sis in the barn and tried to steal Jack?"

Puzzled, Rick made a high sign at his brother, who mouthed, "Ron thought they caught DiMarco in the act of sabotaging Ricky's car."

"So he was stopping Branson's kid instead of helping him? Okay, thanks Ron….we'll keep you in the loop." A.J. finished speaking with their friend, then hung up.

"What was all that with DiMarco and Matty Branson?" Rick asked, concerned. A.J. shook his head disgustedly.

"Ron had a tail on DiMarco, then the officers lost him, only to catch him in what they thought was the act of messing with Ricky's car at the academy. Only problem was, when they confronted him, Matty Branson popped up from behind the truck and ran off, leaving behind a screwdriver and a big hole in Ricky's tire. They've got an APB out on the kid now, so it looks like DiMarco did us a big favor, much as I hate to admit it."

"What gets me, is that Laurie saves the kid's life, and he's repaying it by trying to kill her, then Ricky?" Rick replied, reaching for her hand. She gently squeezed it, saying, "He probably doesn't know, love….you know what his parents are like. That boy is living on what he's been taught…and I feel sorry for him."

"That's my sis…." A.J. sighed, getting up and giving her a hug. "But we have to catch up with that little jerk, before he does worse to Ricky or Ceci."

"I know, A.J…..now which one of you is sitting in when Ron questions DiMarco?" Laurie added, bringing a smile to both brothers' faces.

"You still have it, sweetheart. I think I want Rudy to stay with you so both of us can get an idea of where that guy is coming from." Rick told her, standing up then helping her off the desk. She nodded, then wrapped her arms around him.

"I will, darling, just you two be careful…I don't want any surprise phone calls."

"And you mind Rudy…capice?" he whispered, kissing her neck. Laurie gave a little moan. "Capice, love."

"Come on, Romeo.." A.J. said from the doorway, pretending to be annoyed. The two laughed as Laurie teased, "Remind me to tell Linda how unromantic you can be."

"Nobody likes a tattletale, Sis." The younger Simon replied, dodging his brother's swat. Minutes later Rick's truck rattled off down the highway, followed by Robbie's squad car. Laurie watched them leave, Ramona's arm around her shoulders.

"They'll be okay, Mom…would you like me to make some fish and chips for you and Uncle Rudy?" Ramona asked her, and Laurie smiled appreciatively.

"Bless you, honey….that would be nice…there should be some nice fish in the freezer."

"There is…and some fresh caught in the refrigerator too, Missy." The old doctor said from inside the house. Jack's barking made both women laugh.

"Somebody else wants some fish, too." Laurie giggled, then led the way back inside.

Unseen by the Simons, a car sat across the highway, hidden by a thatch of cactus. A young man sat watching through the windshield until the front door closed, then he pulled out a radio and thumbed the on switch.

"Mom, the Simons just left for town, I'm going to follow them to find out what DiMarco tells them… I'm not going to jail and I'll finish what I started. No, Mom..you can't talk me out of it…one way or another I'm going to pay them back for what they did."

As the sports car pulled onto the reservation road and headed towards Phoenix, Rick had already radioed Ron's assistant and notified him that they wanted to sit in on the questioning of DiMarco. Stopping only for A.J. to check on Linda and change shirts, the brothers soon arrived at headquarters and were properly signed in and escorted upstairs.

"Now that's more like it.", Rick remarked to Ron as they entered his office.

"Yeah, but it took 3 calls to the watch commander's supervisor to get security beefed up." The younger man admitted, leading the way back to an interrogation room.

Already standing at the 2-way glass was Ricky, who turned at his father's greeting and gave him a hug.

"Thanks for coming, Dad. I just can't believe someone's going this far..is Auntie all right?"

"She is, son….Thanks to your uncle here…." A.J. nodded at Rick who patted his namesake's shoulder.

"I'm glad you check your car before getting into it, Ricky….seems like it saved your bacon this time."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't even have seen that guy messing with my tires if it weren't for some jerk whistling at Ceci….she's the one who yelled for security to grab Branson." Ricky explained quietly, glancing through the glass at the apparent hero. The older man, dressed in an expensive suit, calmly waited in the empty chamber, sipping a glass of water.

Just then Ron strode into the interrogation room, and took a seat at the head of the table.

"Thank you for your help this morning, Mr. DiMarco. We just want to hear one more time how you came to be in the academy parking lot, and how you know Matthew Branson."

"Of course, Captain. I suppose the Simons are also interested in what happened. Although, " he quirked his eyebrow at Ron, "I'm surprised they didn't realize earlier who was behind the attempt to harass their children."

Beside Ricky, A.J. tensed as Rick growled, "Realize? How would we have known?"

"Mr. DiMarco, please don't waste my time, and yours. What do you know about Munoz and Jones, and Matthew Branson." Ron sternly asked.

DiMarco merely sighed. "Munoz and Jones are acquaintances of Mr. Branson….they merely wanted money and some "payback" on his behalf, no more, no less. As for the young man in question…."

"Yes?" Ron prompted him.

"He is convinced that all his life's woes, his father's incarceration and his broken home stem from the interference of Rick and A.J. Simon. He was turned down for the police academy 3 times, and was attempting to try out again when Richard and Ceci Simon got the last 2 spots in the class. At that point, he reached out to his fellow applicants for help…"DiMarco added.

"But how does he know all this?" A.J. said, frustrated. The informant's next words answered his question.

"You see, Bill Branson was a comrade, a compatriot, you understand, when we both served during the Korean War. We were close, and when he was rising through the ranks of the police force, I was able to help in some small ways when arrests had to be made. In return, he made me Godfather to his son, and warned me when my business dealings could have brought me to the attention of the authorities."

DiMarco paused, then took a sip from his water. "Naturally, when Matthew's father went to prison, I tried to help Fran with the boy. I even paid for his medical care, so naturally, when he came to me for aid with his "payback", I tried to warn him off. You see…" the man smiled then looked directly at the two-way window. "I know Mrs. Laurie Simon was the bone marrow donor to Matthew. She saved his life, but he doesn't know that. He already has tried to harm her once….and I'm afraid he's so desperate for revenge, he'll try again."


	7. Chapter 7

"No…." Rick paled as A.J. clenched his hands. "And she's alone at the ranch with just Rudy and Ramona…."

"I'll call Robbie and Rob…they'll make sure she's safe, A.J…..Ricky, have Ron call me with anything else DiMarco knows about Branson…including if Fran is involved. She might be hiding the little creep." Rick added, heading toward the door. Already on his transmitter by the time they left the little room, Rick was relieved when Chief Rob explained he and Oscar were almost at the Simon's already.

"Light wanted some more turkey food for Gobble….seems the kids forgot to tell her you were out. ..Ramona had to leave to pick up Chelsea from pre-school so we volunteered." Rick couldn't help but laugh as A.J. groaned.

"My soft-hearted kids….only they would adopt a walking meal!"

"I wouldn't take all the blame, little brother." Rick told him as they entered an elevator. "Laurie wouldn't hear of that bird going to the Center's farm…said he and Jack would miss each other too much!"

Their good humor lasted until A.J. got a message from the front desk of the station that his wife was trying to reach him.

"Let me use the phone, Rick." A.J. went to the public reception area and picked up the receiver. As Rick waited, he caught sight of DiMarco coming towards them, followed by Ricky and Ron.

"I'm sorry your family is troubled like this, Mr. Simon." The older man said in a sincere manner. "I should have dissuaded the boy when he first confided in me. I just had no idea…"

Swallowing an angry retort, Rick managed to thank the man for his warning. "I appreciate your help, I just have to make sure my wife is safe."

"Rick! Something's wrong!" A.J. called from the payphones, his voice frantic. "Ceci never came home from the Academy….and Linda got a hang up call asking if she was missing anything. When she asked who was calling, a guy laughed then hung up!"

"I'll get a call out...was Ceci driving her Mustang?" Ron yelled, rushing toward the younger Simon. A.J. nodded, pulling out a recent picture from his wallet of Ceci in front of her "birthday" car. "But Linda says her car's in front of the house now….she must have been grabbed when she came home."

"It's a start, little brother, wait a minute…." Rick's transmitter went off and instantly he turned on the receiver. Just as he saw that it was his wife's frequency, her voice came over the little speaker.

"Rick, you and A.J. need to get over here. Matty Branson is across the road from the ranch, and he's holding Ceci hostage. He's threatening to hurt her unless you and I trade ourselves for her."

Rick went cold inside, as A.J. gasped "No…not my daughter!" Ricky swore as Ron put a hand on his shoulder. "Hang on, son.".

"A.J…..it's going to be alright." Laurie's voice was very calm, and Rick suddenly knew she had a plan.

"Go ahead, sweetheart." He said quietly, as Ron radioed for a car and additional manpower.

"You and A.J. and Ron come in your truck…no other marked cars…he's got a long range sight on a rifle, he says. I'm going to have him drive into the driveway, and try to talk him into letting Ceci out of the car. Please tell Ron no sirens or helicopters. I don't want him spooked."

"Okay, darlin….your way." Rick replied, seeing Ron nod at the arrangements. Within minutes, the three men were in Rick's truck, with Ricky and DiMarco following in the latter's car. As they sped down the highway, Rick told Laurie to leave her transmitter on when she spoke with Branson, and make sure Rudy put Jack in one of the bedrooms.

"He's in our bedroom, love….Rudy has his pistol and is hiding in the hallway. Here goes…." She told him, then opened the front door.

"Matty, it's Mrs. Simon….please drive my niece over here…I've opened the gate." She called out, and immediately Rick heard the sound of a high-performance engine over the speaker.

As the noise became louder, the men listened as the car drove right up to the walk, then a car door slammed.

"All right, Mrs. Simon, here she is. Did you call your husband?" a young man's voice said, anger in his tone.

"Yes, Matty….please let go of Ceci's arm now….she's done nothing to you. She'll be more comfortable in my room with our dog." Rick blessed his wife's calm manner as within a moment Ceci was in Laurie's arms, crying, "Auntie, no…don't let him hurt you…."

"It's all right, honey….Matty's not going to hurt anyone….he just wants to understand why his father is in prison….." Laurie assured her, then the sound of heels on the wooden floor let the others know Ceci was leaving the living room.

"Where is he?" Branson's voice was hard, then Laurie let out a gasp of pain. "He's coming, just calm down!"

"_Hold on, sweetheart." _Rick whispered to himself, as his truck made one last turn then slowed as a sports car zoomed past him.

"Whoa….where'd that come from?" A.J. said, as the car changed lanes then vanished around the corner.

"I don't know, I'll have Ricky come in the back way to the ranch….wait a minute…that's Fran Branson's car!" Ron blurted, quickly turning on his radio.

"How'd she know where he was?" A.J. scowled, as Branson yelled again, "That'd better be him now, Mrs. Simon….."

As Rick whipped around the curve then turned off the highway, the three men spotted the woman's car blocking the ranch driveway. Rick screeched to a halt just short of the entrance, then leapt out of the truck, saying, "I'm going in, Ron…A.J….go in the back and get Ceci out..now."

Without waiting for an answer, Rick ran up the walk, approaching the front door as he "told" his wife, "I'm here, Laurie…"

"No…don't come in, darling." She "cried" out to him, falling silent as Matty Branson yelled, "Get out of here, Mother…I'm going to pay the Simons back once and for all…"

Rick opened his mouth to let the angry young man know he was there, only to stop when Fran Branson's voice sounded.

"No, you owe her..we both owe Mrs. Simon….she saved your life, son….not me."

Surprised, Rick quietly opened the front door, then slid inside in time to see the younger Branson turn and face his mother, a steel-colored gun in his hand.

"You're lying to me…you told me you gave me my life back…that they managed to fix your bone marrow to match mine!"

"I lied then….Matty…not now." A grey haired Fran Branson was next to Laurie, her hand outstretched. Both women saw Rick, but only Mrs. Branson reacted. She winced, then took a breath and spoke.

"I'm sorry, son….I was so angry that I passed that anger on to you….I didn't want to owe Mrs. Simon….I felt so guilty at the horrible things your father did to her and her husband. You forget, both of them saved our lives during a bank robbery when you were a little boy, remember?"

Matty's shoulders slumped as he stared at his mother. "I thought it was a dream…some nightmare I'd had as a kid." Rick took a chance and walked boldly into the living room to stand beside his wife. He looked calmly at the white-faced man, then said, "It wasn't a dream, Matty. My wife risked her life to get you and your mother out of that bank, then still gave you a second chance even after your father nearly buried her alive. You can't possibly want to pay her back by killing her, or me."

"No? Well, maybe I want to..cause my father still's in prison…he's never going to see me do anything!" Matty snapped, raising the gun in his hand. "Maybe I don't want to be grateful-I want to get out of this town with some money and start over again…but first…"

As he started to point the weapon at them, Rick heard Ricky yell, "Drop, Uncle Rick!" He grabbed Laurie's hand and the two of them hit the floor as 2 shots rang out. There was a scream, "Don't hurt him!", then the sound of Matty Branson landing on the floor, still shouting, "Let go, Mother…you've done enough.!"

"No I haven't…" Fran said, stoically, as she leaned down and moved the gun out of his reach. Rick looked up to see Ricky pulling Branson up and handcuffing the now sullen kidnapper. Seeing Branson's hand reddened from having the gun shot out of it, he grinned at his namesake. "Good shot, son!" Ricky just smiled back as he handed over the younger man to Chief Ron. Rick got up, then embraced Laurie, cuddling her to him as he whispered, "Thank God, you're all right…so brave…my brave princess."

"I love you so…I knew you were coming….and I was afraid when he kept ranting that you ruined his life…. …" she told him, her voice shaking.

"Auntie? Are you alright?" Ceci came back into the living room, A.J.'s arm around her. Behind them, Rudy sighed as he caught sight of Laurie and Rick.

"I'm okay, honey…." Laurie opened her arms to hug the young woman, then Rudy. The old doctor wiped his eyes as he embraced her, saying, "You scared me, Missy….but I'm so proud of you, protecting Ceci here."

"I had to get her out of there…and I knew you and Jack would keep her safe." Laurie managed a smile as Rudy chuckled, "That he did….the little guy wouldn't let Ceci off the bed once I told them both to "stay!"

"Hmmm, maybe I ought to teach someone that trick…" Rick teased, dropping a kiss on his wife's head. Laurie just sighed with contentment and snuggled close to his chest.

"I'll learn any trick for you." She whispered.


	8. Chapter 8

"So, Laurie…what should we do about Matty Branson?"

Rick looked at his wife, who was gripping his hand nervously. All the way to Phoenix P.D., they had talked about the Branson's, the tragedy of a mother growing old by herself with her son in jail and husband in prison. Overshadowing the past week was Ceci's blaming herself for being kidnapped and putting her aunt and uncle in danger.

"Honey, Branson had weeks to plan his revenge…ever since you and Ricky passed the application test." Laurie had reassured her, sitting down with her at A.J.'s home. Ceci had told them how Branson had snuck up behind her when she was leaving the police academy, then forced her at gunpoint to leave her car near home and get into his.

"But I wasn't even thinking….how could I be a police officer when I don't even know to lock my car door when I'm by myself?" Ceci said tearfully. A.J. came over and kneeling down, put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"You can, because you know better…you'll remember to lock your door and not walk alone from class and know your surroundings, honey. You'll be more alert and aware and …well, listen to your old dad when he tells you to be careful."

"Oh…daddy…" Ceci broke down and buried her face in A.J.'s shirt, bringing sniffles from the others in the room. A.J. traded places with his sister-in-law and comforted his daughter, whispering, "It's all right now, honey….we'll never let anything happen to you."

Now it was the older Simons' turn to face Ron and the assistant D.A., who were planning to ask for ten years prison time for the younger Branson. As they sat in Ron's office, Rick knew it was for the last time, as the younger man had filed his retirement papers and would be vacating the room within the week.

"Rick and I talked long and hard about this, Ron…Mr. Frias." Laurie said, taking a deep breath. "Matty Branson did a terrible thing…trying to harm Ricky and Ceci….and he does need to serve time for that. But prison would only poison him…turn him into his father…"

"That's why we think he should serve 2 years in jail, then five years probation." Rick continued, "and mandatory counseling…something to help him with his anger issues. I can't believe no one caught his problems before this, and we think he does deserve a new start."

"Are you sure?" Ron had a dubious look on his face, then his expression softened as Laurie replied, "I'm sure, Ron….everyone deserves a second chance, and Matty needs to see that he's worth one."

"Okay, honey….Hank, you've got their recommendation." Ron smiled as the assistant D.A shook his head but extended a hand to both Simons.

"I hope you folks are right….thanks for the time and effort you've put in on this….I'll let you know when the sentencing hearing is."

As Frias left the room, Ron looked around his bare office, then sighed.

"I'm calling it a day, Abby wants you both to come to dinner, are you free?"

"I think we can clear our schedules…" Rick smirked, helping Laurie out of her seat.

As they left the building, Ron looked around with a wistful air, and Laurie remarked, "This place won't be the same without you, Ron."

"Well, I hope you two won't have to make any visits to it, save to visit a grandson or nephew." He replied, as Rick added, "Or niece!"

"I don't know, darling, I almost wish Ceci would find another field to work in…" Laurie sighed, and Ron gave her a sympathetic nod as they reached their cars.

"I get it, honey….I'm just glad Joey wants to be an archeologist….Rob did a nice thing helping him get that internship at the Center."

As they drove the few minutes to the Johnson's condo, Rick looked at his wife, then quietly said, "You really don't want Ceci to continue at the Academy, do you, sweetheart?"

"I know I'm being a worry-wart….but I really wish she'd go into counseling or something…" Laurie admitted, then smiled up at Rick.

"Thank you, love, for letting me talk this out. I'm okay with whatever the kids want to do, I just hope it'll be something they love."

Moved, Rick pulled into the Johnson's drive, then turned and wrapped his arms around Laurie, whispering, "You're who I love, the most generous, supportive wife a man could have."

"Because of you, darling," she murmured, meeting his lips with hers.

Only a "ahem", reminded them where they were, and Rick snickered at the sight of Ron and Abby 'tsking" them from outside the car.

"Uh, see anything you two like?" Rick laughed getting out of the car as Ron went to open a blushing Laurie's door.

"Not anything we haven't seen before, you goof!" Abby teased, giving him a hug.

As Ron and Abby led their friends into their home, Rick noticed that only the entry light was on.

"What happened, pal, someone forgot to pay the …" he began, then a loud "Surprise!"

Startled, he nearly jumped as the lights came on and a host of family and friends began to sing "Happy Birthday to you!"

"What the…." Rick said, then looked down to see his wife giggling as she sang along.

"You sneaky little ….did you know about this?"

"I knew A.J. and Ron were planning this….but I didn't get the high sign until Ron invited us for dinner. And I was afraid I'd let the cat out of the bag if you didn't want to go out." Laurie confessed sheepishly. Rick gave her a heartfelt hug as "And many more!" rang out from the crowd, then A.J. and Cecilia came forward to embrace the couple.

"Tied up with football practice, huh?" Rick pretended grab for his brother as A.J. chuckled, trying to dodge him.

"Yeah, thought that one might still work, figured it was the only way we could ferry everyone over here."

"Enough roughhousing, son….it's party time!" Cecilia reminded him with a twinkle in her eye, and both brothers chorused, "Yes, Mom".

"See honey, you still have it!" Oscar grinned, putting an arm around his wife. Cecilia looked smug as she replied, "Yes I do, now how about helping me with the vegetables?"

"Yes, dear." He smiled, then winked at Rick as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Now there's a contented man…" Steve Austin came up to greet his friend and Rick matched his smile.

"And I've got a happy mom…what more could I ask….save one of those steaks!" he pointed at a stack of t-bones being placed on the living room table. Steve just laughed.

"I agree….."

As soon as the large gathering was seated around two expanded tables, Ron stood to deliver a toast.

"To a man who I once thought would be trouble for me and the department…but whose only helped me through his honesty and friendship. Thank you for being my friend and back-up all these years….Happy Birthday, Rick!"

Misty-eyed, Rick raised his glass in return, then stood as everyone applauded.

"Thank you, pal…for being there for our family, friends…heck, for A.J. and Laurie and me. For marrying one of my best friends, and protecting our community. You might toast my birthday, but I toast your 25 years of commitment. To a friend for life…to you, Ron."

"Here, here…." A.J. raised his glass along with the others, then added, "and thanks for hosting our shindig….the only way we could put one over on my brother….thank you!"

As everyone echoed the thanks, a small voice was heard to say, "Can't we eat now?"

"Is that my Chelsea?" Rick reached across the table and scooped up his bright-eyed granddaughter. She giggled as she hugged his neck, then said, "Can we, grandpa….cause I'm hungry!"

"Sure we can eat, how about eating with Grandpa and Grandma, sweet pea?" he laughed, as A.J. called out, ""How about it, soup's on!"

After a very filling dinner complete with a large sheet cake of chocolate and coffee filling, everyone sat around reminiscing and telling "Rick" stories. The birthday boy was in the midst of hearing an embarrassing tale from Robbie when he noticed Laurie had left the room. Excusing himself, he went in search of her and found his wife standing at the back door, wiping her eyes.

"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked, putting an arm around her shoulders. Startled, she looked up at him, then smiled.

"I'm all right, darling. I just had such a strong feeling……I need to cherish this time we have together, because I keep thinking what if….what if Steve didn't find you for me…what if something stopped us from being together…"

"Nothing will ever stop us from being together, princess…that's for sure." He interrupted her, then kissed her gently. When their lips parted, Laurie murmured, "Happy Birthday, my love…and many more… My present to you is partly at home and here." She added, winking.

"Then what are we waiting for…let me take you home and you can give it to me…alone!" Rick offered, holding out his hand. Laurie took his fingers in hers as she whispered, "I'll get my jacket!

As husband and wife made a quiet departure, A.J. watched them leave with a wistful smile on his face. When he started to close the back door, he spotted a familiar figure in the Johnson's patio.

"Chief?" He whispered, then saw the older man beckon to him. A.J. heard Linda in back of him, and said, "Honey, it's the Chief…"

Going down the back steps, he stopped short of the familiar spirit. "Chief, is everything all right?"

"It is now, my son. Your children have chosen their own paths, let them have the space to grow. They will make a difference, I promise. You have passed your torch on to them, help them keep it alive." Chief Joseph's words came softly, then he smiled at Linda as she joined A.J..

"Be happy, my dear…..farewell."

Both husband and wife barely had time to nod at their friend before he turned and vanished into the moonlight.

"A.J., he came to see us…." Linda murmured, wiping her eyes. A.J. saw her actions and taking her hand, led her back inside. "What's wrong, Linny?"

"Nothing, darling. I just feel …..I miss him…but I've felt all along he's been there for us. Now I know…" Linda stopped as she saw Ron and Abby in the kitchen.

"Was that the Chief?" Abby asked, wonderingly, then smiled as Ron shook his head. "I've never seen him appear anywhere but the ranch….I wonder why he came."

"He just wanted to let us know that things are all right…" A.J. said, "and that our children have …wait a minute…" He looked at Linda, then back to Ron.

"He said that our children have chosen their own path, and that we passed our torch to them."

"Well, he got that right….Ricky finished first in his class, and he's going to be serving under Martin in my old office." Ron told him proudly.

"That's wonderful, Ron….thank you!" Linda beamed then hugged their friend.

"How did Ceci do?" A.J. suddenly remembered his oldest daughter had taken a makeup test the day before. At that Ron's face fell.

"Uh, sorry, A.J…..She didn't pass the exam…so the counselor talked with her, and well, she's going to switch to the civilian side of Family Services. I thought I'd let her know it was all set."

"That's good, Ron….Ceci's a great listener….I just know it'll be a great job for her." Linda said enthusiastically. Just then there was a knock on the front door, and the Johnsons and Simons came to the entry in time to see Rick and Laurie standing at the door, an embarrassed look on their faces.

"Okay, what'd you forget?" Abby asked, opening the door. Rick spoke first, grinning.

"Uh, we kind of forgot we had a gift for you, Ron…We were on the freeway when Laurie found it by her feet. So we decided to turn around and present it to you properly."

"Well, we'll accept, and we have a little something to "give" you." Ron said, looking at A.J.. The younger Simon chuckled, seeing Ceci and Ricky get up from the table and come towards them.

"Oh, yes….you two need to sit down to hear this!"

Fin


End file.
